Will "The Road" Ever Get Released?

Last year while on spring break, my roommate suggested a book for me to read. He handed me a decent sized book, with nothing on the cover except a title and the name of the author. Reading the back of Cormac McCarthy's "The Road," I wasn't sure what to expect.

The novel takes place in a post-apocolypic world and follows the journey taken by a father and his young son over a period of several months. They travel across a landscape blasted years before by an unnamed disaster that destroyed civilization and almost everyone on earth.

"The Road" was released in 2006 and won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Anytime you stumble upon a book that has a sticker on the cover that reads "Pulitzer Prize winner," it's impossible not to be intrigued. Once I started reading, I simply could not put the book down.

McCarthy writes with an interesting, rough style throughout the book, neglecting to use commas, apostrophes and quotation marks. This makes the book feel realistic and although I was reading the book on the beach in broad daylight, I still found myself feeling empathetically scared for the characters.

I finished the book well before my vacation was over and after I turned the last page, I thought to myself, "This is easily one of the best books I've ever read."

Eventually, I picked up another book, but "The Road" still hung around in my mind. Late last year, I was thrilled when I heard that the novel was being adapted into a film starring Viggo Mortensen. Even though many film adaptations of books are successful, once they stray from the original material, they can go horribly awry.

The adaptation of author Michael Crichton's "Jurassic Park" followed the book directly and was a critical and commercial success. Other releases of his books such as "The Lost World" and "Timeline," strayed from the original material and were both huge critical flops.

Filming for "The Road" began in early 2008 with a release date set for November. The news coming from the set of the film was positive and photographs released by the producers showed that they were sticking very close to the original material. With its combination of dramatic lot, a strong cast and an early winter release date, I felt the film would be sure to win numerous awards. However, in October, the distributors of the film, The Weinstein Company, postponed the film to December. A few weeks later, it was pushed back to sometime in 2009. The company stated that they felt the film will benefit from more post-production work and a less crowded release calendar.

The Weinstein Company made two other films, Stephen Daldry's "The Reader" and Woody Allen's "Vicky Christina Barcelona" that the company hoped would compete for awards this season as well. Instead of rushing "The Road" along so they would have three awards contenders, the company allowed the creators of the film more time to ready the film for release.

Sometimes, when push comes to shove, studios will rush filmmakers along, hoping for the biggest amount of box office returns and not worrying about the quality of the film. It is encouraging to see a studio work with creative talent to help make the best adaptation possible.

Releasing a film a year early could greatly hinder the films award chances, but it is isn't unprecedented for a movie that was released early in the year to win awards. In the past decade, two Academy Award winners for Best Picture, "Gladiator" and "Crash" were released prior to October.

Since I enjoyed the book so much, I wish the film was released on schedule but perhaps the delay will allow for the movie to become even better. There still is no set release date, but that just gives people more time to discover the book. Head to the library or bookstore and pick up "The Road." It's a decision you will not regret.